Is It Okay To Reuse Used Syringes?

ByMed guard

Whether going to a hospital or at home, patients must know that reusing injections leads to serious health threats. Besides, it can put both patients as well as healthcare personnel at risk. 

On the other hand, safe use of injection can keep diseases at bay as well as prevent them from spreading. However, to help you understand better, here is all you need to know about syringes.

Is Reusing Used Syringes a Threat? 

Wondering if reusing syringes is a threat? The answer is Yes! Be it a needle or a syringe, reusing both can lead to diseases. These diseases can be life-threatening in some cases. For instance, patients can fall into danger such as :

  • HIV
  • HBV- Hepatitis B virus 
  • HCV- Hepatitis C virus

Therefore, be it nurses, doctors, patients or anyone one should never use medical consumables products like syringes. Remember, using from one patient to another can also lead to danger. So make sure to never reprocess injecting equipment for reuse. Also never take out used needles or disposable syringes. 

What are the Different Types of Syringes?

There are mainly two types of syringes- disposable and non-disposable. 

  1. Disposable Syringe 

Disposable syringes are considered transfer needles. These are multi-dose syringes and vacutainer needles that are out of the package and intended for usage in a single processing event. If the barrel of tubing is contaminated with dirt, blood or bodily fluids, the syringe must be replaced. Besides, after heating them to sterility, check the label to see if you can reuse these syringes. However, because vacutainer needles are single-use devices, use a fresh one each time. 

  1. Non-disposable Syringe 

Non-disposable syringes are multi-dose syringes and transfer needles. If the inside of the tubing, barrel or needle gets contaminated, one must replace the needle or switch to a previously cleaned and sanitized syringe. Moreover, even though they are made to withstand heat sanitization, always read the label to confirm. 

What Happens to Used Needles?

Medical consumables products like needles, syringes or other sharp waste are disposed of as medical waste. These are placed into a sharps container, then into a biohazard bin and at last collected by a medical waste disposal company. These containers are completely safe and come with less or no chance of injury as they are leak-proof and sealable. 

These sharp materials are then properly sterilized and made sure they’re free of blood or other infectious materials. Once done, these are then disposed of like regular waste. The sterilization is done to ensure there will be no transmission of diseases. In other words, the process goes like this- generation, segregation, storing, collecting, transporting, treating and finally disposing of. 

What are some Safe Injection Practices to Follow?

Here are some safe injection practices to follow:

  • Instead of using injectable medications, opt for using topical, oral or rectal medications. 
  • When using injections, prepare in a clean area where there is no clutter and where there is no chance of contamination by blood or any bloody fluids. 
  • Always prepare injections of inadequate lighting. 
  • When preparing injections, always make sure your hands are clean. 
  • Never provide medication from the same syringe to more than one patient.
  • Both syringes and needles shouldn’t be reused when taking medication out of multi-use vials/containers even when taking repeated doses for the same patient.
  • Dispose of needles in sharps containers only and dispose safely. Also, make sure these containers are not accessible to visitors or children. 
  • Do not break or bend used needles. 

How to Choose the Right Needle and Syringe for Your Injections?

Giving your shots or injections requires proper technique. But with no proper equipment, it can lead to severe injuries. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right needle and syringe for injection. So when purchasing here are some things to consider :

  • The very first thing you need to do is to choose the right syringe size. There are 2 measurements of syringes- millimetres for liquid volume and cubic centimetres for the volume of solids. For instance, if you’re choosing an injection for home use, then purchase a syringe as mentioned on the prescription and keep the dose in mind.
  • The next thing to consider is the needle size. Remember the needle gets thinner as the number increases. Besides, the second number in the needle indicates length in inches. 
  • Next, consider the needle gauge. Unlike syringes, needles are labeled differently like having a number. The first number G indicates the needle’s gauge. For home use, a thin, high-gauge needle will be less painful. 

Reach Out to the Best Healthcare Provider

We at Medguard are your best healthcare partner. We are the leading suppliers of medical equipment, and medical consumables products and stock only the world’s most reliable brands. We cater to all needs of medical supplies and for all medical environments. Be it quality, quantity, delivery or service, you can rely on us completely.